'My campaign is about the 100%,' says Mitt Romney as he seeks to win the Hispanic-American vote

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US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney tried to bury his “47 per cent” gaffe as he wooed the Hispanic vote on the campaign trail in Florida.

The Republican nominee, who was revealed on a video to have said he did not “worry about” the Americans who do not pay income tax, told a Spanish-speaking audience he was committed to all citizens.

“My campaign is about the 100 per cent in America,” he said at a forum in Miami.

He later declared that the Republican Party “is the natural home for Hispanic Americans because this is the party of opportunity and hope”.

Mr Romney was today practically crossing paths on the campaign trail with his Democrat rival, President Obama.

The candidates’ focus on the growing US Hispanic population — backed by millions of dollars in targeted advertising — has at its core a charged debate over immigration. It aims to influence a group likely to play a critical role in the election.

The Republican campaign released a new TV commercial featuring Florida senator Marco Rubio, a rising star in the party popular among traditional conservatives and Hispanic voters, promoting Mr Romney’s plans to overhaul the Medicare insurance programme.

Recent polls suggest the race is very close, with Mr Obama holding a small lead. But Mr Romney has struggled through a series of gaffes in recent weeks that prompted vocal concern from Republicans.

Some are worried that he is not working hard enough — but he has ramped up his schedule for public events in “battleground” states for the final few weeks.

He will hold up to three a day, which in most election years is a normal pace in the final stretch to election day but for Mr Romney will be a big increase, and go on a three-day bus tour of Ohio next week with running mate Paul Ryan.